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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPT.

School District Considers $1,500 Bonuses for 32 IT Workers

By MERISSA GREENTHE LEDGER

Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 11:57 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 11:57 p.m.

BARTOW | As Polk County School District officials consider ways to cut $15 million to $18 million from the district budget to pay for teacher salary raises, a proposal is on the table to give bonuses to 32 employees in the information technology department.

Each of them would receive $1,571 that would come from money budgeted for two positions in that department that are vacant.

Abdu Taguri, the assistant superintendent of information systems and technology, said he must deal with high turnover in his department and the bonuses will be one way to address low morale. Taguri said he has lost seven employees to private companies and the turnover is "getting old." Taguri said his staff is stretched thin and if people keep leaving, his department will no longer be efficient.

Annual salaries for the IT employees range from $45,000 to $74,081. Taguri has said that similar positions in private industry pay more than a $100,000.

Interim Superintendent John Stewart said the bonus is a token of appreciation to the IT department and he described it as "small compensation."

But when School Board members discussed the proposal Tuesday at least one expressed reluctance about the idea given the current budget realities.

Board member Debra Wright said it wouldn't be right to give a bonus to the information technology department and not one to workers in the district's eight other departments.

"I'm looking at the people in the trenches," Wright said about employees working at schools. "I don't think the timing is right. We have lived beyond our means so now it is time to change the focus."

School Board Chairwoman Hazel Sellers said she is torn about what to do.

"Abdu trains these people," she said. "Once they get the expertise, they walk out the door."

Board member Tim Harris said the bonuses are small and he questioned whether they would be enough to keep employees from leaving.

Taguri said while his staff salaries' may appear to seem comfortable, most of his employees have worked more than 21 years to earn those wages.

Some of the services Taguri's department provides to the district and the schools include computer networking, software development, and pupil accounting and web services.

Stewart said district officials are reviewing other high-skilled positions for adjustments and want to make appropriate corrections to those salaries as well.

"There is not going to be a good time to give everybody what they deserve in the way of wages in the public sector," Stewart said. "This is going to be an ongoing topic as we build the district's budget."

The district is the largest employer in Polk County, with more than 13,000 employees, more than half of whom are teachers. While teachers received salary adjustments last year, non-union employees and members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) — the union that represents custodians, bus drivers and attendants, and school food service assistants — did not.

The bonus proposal comes after a board discussion earlier this month to cut millions from the district's budget to cover teachers' salaries for the 2013-14 school year. Step increases on the salary schedule were approved in the fall. Base salaries for first-year teachers increase from $35,000 to $35,750. A teacher who entered his or her fifth year with the district in August currently earns $36,273. The "step" increases that salary to $38,750. Teachers also will receive additional compensation for advanced degrees.

The money to pay for salary increases came from the district's reserve fund.

A hiring freeze was implemented to eliminate 190 teaching positions as part of a plan to reduce spending. Open positions will be covered by substitute teachers who will be on a limited employee agreement until June 30, said Denny Dunn, assistant superintendent of human resources. The district normally hires 300 to 400 teachers annually, depending on needs. There are currently 98 teacher vacancies and the district averages between 160 to 200 retirements annually. Resignations range between 75 and 125 teachers annually.

District officials are considering other ways to reduce the budget. They include changing class schedules at middle and high schools, which would save an estimated $11 million. Eliminating busing for choice and magnet schools was under consideration but that has since been withdrawn from consideration after board members raised concerns about maintaining racial balance at those schools.

No final spending decisions have been made and Stewart said district officials will continue to look at areas they can cut.

<p>BARTOW | As Polk County School District officials consider ways to cut $15 million to $18 million from the district budget to pay for teacher salary raises, a proposal is on the table to give bonuses to 32 employees in the information technology department.</p><p>Each of them would receive $1,571 that would come from money budgeted for two positions in that department that are vacant.</p><p>Abdu Taguri, the assistant superintendent of information systems and technology, said he must deal with high turnover in his department and the bonuses will be one way to address low morale. Taguri said he has lost seven employees to private companies and the turnover is "getting old." Taguri said his staff is stretched thin and if people keep leaving, his department will no longer be efficient.</p><p>Annual salaries for the IT employees range from $45,000 to $74,081. Taguri has said that similar positions in private industry pay more than a $100,000.</p><p>Interim Superintendent John Stewart said the bonus is a token of appreciation to the IT department and he described it as "small compensation."</p><p>But when School Board members discussed the proposal Tuesday at least one expressed reluctance about the idea given the current budget realities.</p><p>Board member Debra Wright said it wouldn't be right to give a bonus to the information technology department and not one to workers in the district's eight other departments.</p><p>"I'm looking at the people in the trenches," Wright said about employees working at schools. "I don't think the timing is right. We have lived beyond our means so now it is time to change the focus."</p><p>School Board Chairwoman Hazel Sellers said she is torn about what to do.</p><p>"Abdu trains these people," she said. "Once they get the expertise, they walk out the door."</p><p>Board member Tim Harris said the bonuses are small and he questioned whether they would be enough to keep employees from leaving.</p><p>Taguri said while his staff salaries' may appear to seem comfortable, most of his employees have worked more than 21 years to earn those wages.</p><p>Some of the services Taguri's department provides to the district and the schools include computer networking, software development, and pupil accounting and web services.</p><p>Stewart said district officials are reviewing other high-skilled positions for adjustments and want to make appropriate corrections to those salaries as well.</p><p>"There is not going to be a good time to give everybody what they deserve in the way of wages in the public sector," Stewart said. "This is going to be an ongoing topic as we build the district's budget."</p><p>The district is the largest employer in Polk County, with more than 13,000 employees, more than half of whom are teachers. While teachers received salary adjustments last year, non-union employees and members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) — the union that represents custodians, bus drivers and attendants, and school food service assistants — did not.</p><p>The bonus proposal comes after a board discussion earlier this month to cut millions from the district's budget to cover teachers' salaries for the 2013-14 school year. Step increases on the salary schedule were approved in the fall. Base salaries for first-year teachers increase from $35,000 to $35,750. A teacher who entered his or her fifth year with the district in August currently earns $36,273. The "step" increases that salary to $38,750. Teachers also will receive additional compensation for advanced degrees.</p><p>The money to pay for salary increases came from the district's reserve fund.</p><p>A hiring freeze was implemented to eliminate 190 teaching positions as part of a plan to reduce spending. Open positions will be covered by substitute teachers who will be on a limited employee agreement until June 30, said Denny Dunn, assistant superintendent of human resources. The district normally hires 300 to 400 teachers annually, depending on needs. There are currently 98 teacher vacancies and the district averages between 160 to 200 retirements annually. Resignations range between 75 and 125 teachers annually.</p><p>District officials are considering other ways to reduce the budget. They include changing class schedules at middle and high schools, which would save an estimated $11 million. Eliminating busing for choice and magnet schools was under consideration but that has since been withdrawn from consideration after board members raised concerns about maintaining racial balance at those schools.</p><p>No final spending decisions have been made and Stewart said district officials will continue to look at areas they can cut.</p>